Glycerin and lactic acid
Work well together
Use lactic acid first, then apply glycerin, because the acid exfoliates while the glycerin quickly restores lost moisture and comfort. Lactic acid can sometimes make skin feel dry or tight, but glycerin pulls in water to soothe and hydrate it. If your skin feels sensitive, you can use a gentler percentage of acid or wait a little longer between steps.
Effects of water activity and low molecular weight humectants on skin permeability and hydration dynamics - a double-blind, randomized and controlled studyThe efficiency of humectants as skin moisturizers in the presence of oil
Glycerin products
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CeraVe
Moisturising Cream
CA$27.97
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CeraVe
Hydrating Facial Cleanser
CA$20.19
-
Rhode
Glazing Milk
CA$30.00
-
La Roche-Posay
Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer
CA$31.00
-
Cetaphil
Gentle Skin Cleanser
CA$17.97
-
La Roche-Posay
Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Cleanser
CA$30.56
-
Vanicream
Daily Facial Moisturizer
CA$21.99
-
Neutrogena
Hydro Boost Water Gel
CA$18.98
-
Olay
Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream
CA$35.96
-
CeraVe
Daily Moisturizing Lotion
CA$25.29
-
Kiehl's
Ultra Facial Cream
CA$52.00
-
CeraVe
PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion
CA$20.96
Lactic acid products
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Medicube
Zero Pore Pad
CA$33.99
-
First Aid Beauty
KP Bump Eraser Body Scrub
CA$46.00
- EltaMD UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46
-
First Aid Beauty
Facial Radiance Pads
CA$33.00
- CeraVe Renewing SA Cream
-
The Ordinary
Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA
CA$14.90
-
The Ordinary
Retinal 0.2% Emulsion
CA$22.70
-
Kate Somerville
ExfoliKate Intensive Exfoliating Treatment
CA$38.00
-
Dr. Dennis Gross
Alpha Beta Universal Daily Peel
CA$124.00
-
Sunday Riley
Good Genes All-In-One Lactic Acid Treatment
CA$115.00
-
CeraVe
Skin Renewing Nightly Exfoliating Treatment
CA$36.97
- Biologique Recherche Lotion P50
Questions and answers
Can you use glycerin and lactic acid together?
Yes, you can use glycerin and lactic acid together because humectants like glycerin help replenish water content and improve skin tolerance after exfoliation with acids like lactic acid. Products such as Dermalogica Breakout Clearing Booster, ZO Skin Health Exfoliating Cleanser, Olay Vitamin C + Peptide 24 Brightening Serum, Neutrogena Hydro Boost Exfoliating Cleanser, Pond's Rejuveness Anti-Wrinkle Cream, and Eucerin Advanced Repair contain both ingredients.
Which goes first, glycerin or lactic acid?
Glycerin and lactic acid work well together, and you can apply a glycerin serum or moisturizer after your lactic acid product. Lactic acid may temporarily disrupt the skin barrier, while glycerin helps replenish moisture and improve tolerance.
Are glycerin and lactic acid good for sensitive skin?
Yes, glycerin and lactic acid work well together for all skin types, especially dry and sensitive skin. Lactic acid gently exfoliates while glycerin replenishes hydration to maintain skin barrier tolerance.
Research on glycerin and lactic acid
Behind this pairing advice
Lovi checks every pairing with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.
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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
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Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sof铆a Perea P茅rez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
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Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
-

Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
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